Plane grounded in France over human trafficking lands in Mumbai

276 passengers, mostly Indians, stranded in France for 4 days over suspected human trafficking, land in Mumbai.

A charter plane carrying 276 passengers, mostly Indians, grounded in France for four days over suspected human trafficking, landed in Mumbai in the wee hours on December 26, an official said.

The aircraft, an Airbus A340, landed in Mumbai shortly after 4 a.m., the official said. It had taken off from Vatry airport near Paris around 2:30 p.m. local time.

According to French authorities, the plane had 276 passengers on board when it took off for Mumbai, as 25 persons, including two minors, had expressed the wish to apply for asylum and were still on French soil. Two others were held and produced before a judge, who were brought before a judge, were released and placed on assisted witness status, a French news channel said.

When the flight landed in Vatry airport, there were 11 unaccompanied minors among the 303 Indian passengers on board, a local official had said.

Makeshift beds were arranged for the stranded passengers, who were given access to toilets and showers and provided meals and hot drinks in the hall of Vatry airport, the official had said.

The flight, which was operated by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines and bound for Nicaragua, had landed at Vatry on December 21 for a technical stopover en route from Dubai when French police intervened.

French authorities launched a judicial investigation into the conditions and purpose of the trip, with a unit specialising in organised crime investigating suspected human trafficking.